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Match preview
Will Nice reach the quarter-finals of a European competition for the first time in 63 years?
In the autumn, les Aiglons did well to top a tough group, finishing above Partizan Belgrade, Köln and Slovácko.
Since then, Lucien Favre has been sacked as manager, with interim boss Didier Digard still yet to lose since taking over in mid-January.
Nice are currently unbeaten in nine Ligue 1 games, winning six of them, notably beating Marseille 3-1 and then Monaco 3-0 in derby de la Côte d’Azur, both on the road.
These results have seen the Eagles climb from 11th to seventh, just four points below the guaranteed European positions.
Here, Nice are looking to win a knockout phase tie for the first time since beating Fenerbahçe in the UEFA Cup second round five decades ago.
The same cannot be said of the first leg, with FC Sheriff Tiraspol still forced to play ‘home’ matches in Chișinău rather than Transnistria, due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Last month, Sheriff actually lost their home leg against Partizan, before pulling off a stunning comeback In Belgrade, prevailing 3-1, courtesy of Mouhamed Diop’s brace.
Thus, the Yellow-Blacks have become the first Divizia Națională club to ever win a knockout phase tie, with this already their longest European run.
If Roberto Bordin’s team are going to cause a major upset here too, they surely cannot afford to be beaten in Moldova again.
Will Nice leave Zimbru Stadium in a commanding position?
FC Sheriff Tiraspol team news
Roberto Bordin rotated heavily for Saturday’s Moldovan Cup victory over Dacia Buiucani, with this side likely to mirror the one that started in Belgrade a fortnight ago.
Mouhamed Diop was the hero in Serbia, scoring twice, having also netted in a 3-0 victory over Omonia during the group phase.
Captain Stjepan Radeljić would miss the trip to France if booked here.
Nice team news
Nice’s squad features a few familiar faces, namely Kasper Schmeichel, Dante, Joe Bryan, Ross Barkley, Aaron Ramsey and Nicolas Pépé.
Didier Digard rotated his team fro Friday night’s fixture against Auxerre and paid the price, as it ended 1-1.
Bryan, Ramsey and Pépé all sat out that game, making them injury doubts for this trip to Chișinău.
Striker Gaëtan Laborde was their scorer on Friday, taking his tally to ten for the season.
FC Sheriff Tiraspol vs Nice: Head to head statistics
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